®$Q OF THE PROLONGATION 



down to the prefent time, the fame ? Flamel was in* 

 deed no poet, (though in feveral dictionaries we find 

 him mentioned as a celebrated poet*, philofopher, 

 and mathematician, of his times,) but what hindered 

 him from doing, for his own emolument, or to fave 

 himfelf from harm, what the poets do merely for 

 cheating us into amufement ? 



With no greater fuccefs, in my opinion, has the at-, 

 tempt been attended of bringing the hiftorical teftimo- 

 ny of Lenglet du Frefnoy as a proof that Flamel could 

 not have profited by the expulfion of the jews out of 

 France ; as this does not remove the poffibility that 

 Flamel might have found out fome other kind of means 

 for clandeftinely appropriating the wealth of fome jews 

 to himfelf ; and I believe I have evinced the poffibility 

 of this being the cafe at the infurreclion of the Pari- 

 fians in 1493. 



Suppofe, however, that, foon or late, there fhould 

 be found an hiffcorical proof, that Flamel was already 

 in pofTeffion of his myfterious riches in the year 1380 

 or fiill earlier, yet would his ftory not be one jot more 

 credible. Before we are bound to believe him on his 

 word, that he became rich by virtue of the philofo- 

 pher's ftone, it muft firft be demonfixafed, that of all 

 other poffible ways by which he could become rich, 

 no one was of any effect. Only to mention one : Was 

 it not poffible that he fhould find a treafure in his 



* The literati who honour him with this name, probably found 

 his right to it on this circumftance, that the unintelligible alchymi (Il- 

 eal tracly called Sommaire philofophique, which goes under Flamel's 

 came, is written in wretched rhymes, 



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